Let Me Count the Ways

Before you think that I am going to get a bit mushy or sappy, I need to share the words of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Sonnet 43, which came to me as I looked at (gazed upon) the flowers I had recently bought at a local farm. The sonnet has nothing to do with flowers, but these words do for me.

How do I love thee, let me count the ways.

Back to the flowers. I asked myself why I had driven nearly an hour from home to pick them. My original intention was to bring them home to photograph, and I have. What drove me to drive there was one image of a purple lisianthus. I love purple and the “lizzies,” and that was enough. When I got to the farm, there was only one purple bloom among all the lisianthus. I brought it home. The question of why I would go that far and even further for flowers got me thinking about the “why.” This is when the words from the poem entered my mind. In this writing, I will share some of the whys and ways that I love to have, photograph, have even attempted to grow flowers.

UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF BEAUTY

The world is filled with beautiful things of all kinds. We all have our own idea of what we find beautiful, from people to nature, in art and architecture, in books and fabrics, and even aging automobiles, boats, barns, tools, and so on. You name an object; someone will find beauty in it. Whatever draws at our heartstrings, for whatever reason, will make us exercise formidable and surprising efforts to reach them.

Some people will travel to far away regions and countries just to see and photograph beauty in the winged world because of their love for birds. For others, the beauty of grand landscapes will be the primary engine for world travel and great investments in gear. I love birds and landscapes, but not to that degree. Every birder, bird or wildlife photographer or travel photographer can give you a full and animated list of why they love what they love. Counting the ways is easy for them.

What makes my world beautiful are flowers. For me and my love affair with flowers, the ways and the reasons are many. The whys are wide and varied. Under the umbrella of beauty in flowers lie these four things: Color, Curves, Character and Comfort. Within each of these are many more reasons why I love flowers.

Pink rose in the garden

Tulips shining their lights

FLOWERS ARE SPIRIT LIFTERS AND REMINDERS

No matter who you are, a gift of flowers will still lift your spirits. For many of us, certain flowers go even deeper as they spark memories. When I think of my mother’s mother, I remember her love of azaleas and how they surrounded my grandparents’ home. I remember all the family photos that were taken in front of her azaleas. When I think of my father’s mother, I remember the great mimosa tree in front of her house filled with endless frilly pink blooms. When I think of my childhood, I think of the great hedgerow of purple lilacs in our neighbor, “Unkie Al’s” yard. I remember the fragrance and color and all the small bouquets we made for my mother and our teachers. I also remember the carnations – all colors – and the smells and feel of the smooth stems. We would raid the “reject pile” of the greenhouse farmer and do the same as we did for the lilacs. (While they are not my favorite flower, they do fill me with fond memories every time I see them.)

When I see peonies, I will now and forever think of my mother. Ever since I learned that they are her favorite flower, she gets a big bouquet from me every Mother’s Day, and more if I can find them. They were a flower of her childhood. Her grandmother grew them, and they bring back good memories for her.

I don’t have to travel far for most of these and other flowers, but I have and I will – for the beauty and for the memories.

Just one of many peonies to be discovered

COUNTING THE WAYS IN COLOR

I love color – all colors, but especially purple. Give me a choice between a purple bloom and any other color, purple wins. Clearly, it’s my favorite color. (A side note: in ancient times, Tyrian purple dye was extracted from sea snails and often reserved for royals. If we’re mixing paints or crayons, combinations of blue and red will produce different hues of purple.) I love color so much that for years I could not “see” what might generate a good black & white image. It took an infrared camera converted to 590nm to help me see without color. The images looked like 35mm film negatives, which forced me to look beyond color to contrast, lines, tones and structure. Ultimately, I had to have color stripped from my view in order to appreciate the colorless world of black and white.

The range of colors in flowers seems endless, and each combination projects a different effect. There is an emotional component to color. Color psychology explores how different colors can evoke specific feelings. We respond to color on a conscious level, but also subconsciously. For example, reds are associated with love, passion and excitement. Blues, the color of the sky and sea, can symbolize calm and serenity. Yellows are uplifting, the color of sunshine and warmth. They draw our attention. Green is the color of nature and is associated with growth and harmony. The purples have a sense of richness and elegance, sometimes linked to creativity. Pinks are soft and generally soothing. Oranges are warm and vibrant and energetic. And, while we may not be drawn to the brown hues, they are grounded and connected to the earth. White imbues an impression of purity, simplicity and cleanness. There is much more to explore in the study of how color impacts us.

Who can resist purple tulips?

In gardens, bouquets as well as in art and design, colors, their relationships (complementary, monochromatic, analogous, etc.) and color harmony all play a part in making everything work together. When planting or arranging flowers, considering color combinations is an important factor. They can be arranged to elicit emotional responses such as calming or uplifting. Whatever the colors of the flowers, they have my heart. The flowers and colors I am drawn to in any garden often relate to my mood and mindset at the time. If I am looking for peace and calm, I will likely head toward the pinks, purples and blues. If I am looking to lift my spirits or am feeling good, I am likely to be drawn in by the reds and yellows and oranges. After the colors I head for the blooms with interesting curves.

Aaaaah, petals of pink ranunculus

COUNTING THE WAYS IN CURVES

You ever wonder why you choose a particular flower to photograph when there are so many in front of you? Some would say, “they’re all the same,” but we know that’s not true. What stops us often are the details – the curve of a petal or the curl in the center that makes each flower as unique as we are. We may love the flowers and the color, but it’s that special curve and flow that makes us choose one flower over another. I find this happens to me a lot and especially with dahlias. Similarly with tulips, peonies, roses, irises and lisianthus, but almost always with the dahlias. There’s something about these blooms that reach out and pull me in. The colors, the petal layers, the ruffles and the curves play to my emotions, hold my attention, and draw me into a world of immersion.

It’s the photographic immersion that thrills me and feeds my soul. It allows me to disappear into “the zone” and not only see but feel the beauty through the curves, through the intimate details that are always missed with hurried, passing glances. When something stops me, I have learned to stay longer. Nearly every time I do, I am rewarded with unexpected views and treasures. I notice details I would have missed. I find myself noticing new features beyond the one that made me stop. The curves and curls of flowers are what make them magical muses.

Layers and curves and color

COUNTING THE WAYS IN CHARACTER

You ever notice that some flowers just have a way of calling attention to themselves? Beyond the more obvious colors and curves, some show themselves as they lean into each other, allowing us to interpret emotions and relationships, like mother and child. Some make themselves known by the way they stand out in the crowd – a single flower taller than all the rest or one lone red bloom in a blanket of white – and others by the way they seem to hide in the nooks and crannies waiting to be discovered.

One of my favorite kind of “character” flower is the one that is “B&B” – broken and beautiful. That can mean that it has a petal missing, edges that are growing “old,” or the whole thing is drooping under the weight of water, wind or heat. I’ll often choose the imperfect blooms over the flawless. I’m the one who lets the water dry up in a vase so I can see what happens to the flowers when they dry. I’ll pick the oddball in a bunch over the flowers that look like they “should.” I’ll see and imagine more in a bloom than what is there – like playing the “cloud game” with flowers. I look for and often find hearts and old, hooded women in the flowers. It sometimes happens in all of the old things I collect. I look for character and personality, scratches and bruises, defects. I look for the thing that makes each one different and special.

Beauty in the curl and colors

What missing petals reveal

COUNTING THE WAYS IN COMFORT

I think this last way that I love flowers is among the most special. It doesn’t ever need to be connected to a photo session. Flowers, whether in a garden, in the woods, the side of the road or in a bouquet bring me comfort. They make me feel good. Just having flowers in my home is enough. Giving flowers to others also brings delight, especially knowing that a bunch of randomly arranged flowers can bring a smile to anyone who is feeling down.

I could sit among the flowers anywhere and experience a sense of awe and wonder. Nearly always I experience a lightness, moments when the weights are lifted. Whether I photograph them well or even at all, flowers bring me peace and calm. I am surely not alone in having a passion for and a love of flowers. Bring someone even a handful of flowers and watch the comfort and joy light up their face. It’s priceless.

Mom and her Mother’s Day peonies … Priceless

FINAL THOUGHTS

There are many more ways that I could share on why and how I love flowers. I love them close-up, in small vignettes, and I love them in dramatic, vast displays. I will never tire of flowers. I will have them in my home, pick them in the fields, grow them in my small plot of dirt and, of course, I will always photograph them. I love making friends with those who have far greener thumbs than I do. I love my favorite flowers and enjoy adding to the growing list as I discover more. I love the surprises that flowers bring to each day.

I have a lot of flowers in and outside my home. Some are fresh, some are “B&B”, some are dried and waiting for another session in front of the camera. I will always have flowers. I will always love them. In fact, I think the only thing I don’t love about flowers is when their time is up and they are gone. In those cases, I am thankful for the flowers (and therapy) that can be ordered in to light up the room and my spirit. Under my umbrella of beauty will always be flowers.

There are always flowers for those who want to see them.

– Henri Matisse

Lost in the beauty of the lisianthus

Simple and pure in the petals

Standing out amid the greens